You & I Collide
by MrsBraxton91
Summary: Sasha Bezmel is the new girl in Summer Bay, living with her father Sid and her step siblings. She befriends troubled teen Casey Braxton. Soon enough she begins dating his friend Stu, and Casey realises he might be falling for his best friend. There's an emergency at the school, is he too late?
1. Chapter 1

Story Title: You & I Collide  
Type of Story: Short/Medium  
Main Characters: Sasha, Casey, & Stu  
BTTB Rating: T  
Genre: Romance, friendship, drama, action  
Any spoilers: No  
Warnings: Possible mild violence  
Summary - Sasha Bezmel is the new girl in town who befriends the troubled teen Casey Braxton. However soon enough she begins to date Casey's bad boy friend Stu Henderson. Casey realises he is starting to fall for his best friend, but when the school catches fire is it too late?

Chapter 1

Sasha took a look at herself in the mirror. She tugged at the hem of her new school uniform akwardly and leaned closer to the mirror to examine her make up. A tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away with her hand delicately. She looked to her bed where her school bag sat, packed and ready to go. She heaved it over her shoulder, and went to meet Dex out on the porch.

"Ready?" Dex asked her.

"As I'll ever be." Sasha replied, rolling her eyes.

As the siblings approached the school, Sasha stopped hesistantly. She took in the tall buildings and the herds of students making their way to classes, all in groups - talking and laughing carelessly. There was a welcome board in the reception area with suns and surf boards on, it read - "Welcome to Summer Bay High School." It had pictures of students, academic statistics and reports and information about the school itself. Sasha took in the faces of the students on the welcome board, she had already spotted her step-sister Indi, a former student. Dex directed Sasha to the principals and office and then the bell rang for first period. Suddenly the hallways were empty, silent and Sasha stood there alone, amonst a row of lockers.

"Good morning Miss Bezmel!" came a cheery voice from behind her.

There stood a middle aged woman with dark blonde hair wearing a brown tweed suit, she carried a stack of papers. "I am Mrs Austin, the school's principal." she smiled warmly. "I'll lead the way to my office, and we'll get you sorted out. Follow me." she beckoned and Sasha followed her down the corridor. An hour later Sasha emerged from Mrs Austin's office with books, papers and schedules. She took a seat in the reception and waited for the student who had been forced to buddy-up with her and show her around. She bit on the tips of her fingernails nervously, carefully making sure she didn't chip her newly painted black polish. She could see a figure walking slowly down the corridor towards her, male and tall. As the boy approached she noticed his casual jeans and black trainers. He wore a white school shirt, rolled up at the sleeves and a loose fitting tie. No school bag. He wasn't smiling, his face was hard and unfriendly, a little intimidating. He made immediate eye-contact with Sasha and took a seat beside her. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Are you new?" he asked after a few seconds, in a deep manly voice. Sasha nodded with an akward half smile.

"Where are you from?" he asked her, looking at her.

"The city..." Sasha trailed. "Are you my guide?" she asked. The guy nodded and gave a tiny smile.

"My name's Casey." he said as he took her schedule from her and examined it carefully against his own.

"Check that out, our schedules are identical, no wonder they picked me." he said.

"Sorry, I know how much it must suck for you to have to do this." she said apologetically, batting her huge brown eyes at him.

He looked stern for a moment then his blue eyes glittered with a dazzling smile. "I've never seen a girl like you around here before." he said off subject.

Sasha frowned, "a girl like what?" she asked.

Casey gave a soft laugh. "Come on little rebel, we'll get along just fine." He took all of her books from her carefully, and her heavy bag. He lifted it as if it were a leaf and threw it over his broad shoulder. Sasha trailed behind.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 *4 weeks later.* "Hey Sash!" Casey bellowed as he entered the farm house.

He took a seat on the sofa in the living room. It was 7pm, and they were heading out to a party on the beach. Stu Henderson's birthday party, he was a friend of Casey's. In the past few weeks Sasha and Casey had spent every moment together, he walked her to school, they ate lunch together, they hung out at the diner, and text until they fell asleep. They had found a friendship in each other, a best friendship. Casey thought Sasha was different to every other girl in Summer Bay, unique and different somehow. He liked that.

"I don't know what to wear!" Sasha called from her bedroom, her voice sounded panicky. "I may aswel just go like this." she moaned childishly, as she appeared in the doorway in a black string bikini.

Casey looked up, shocked and suprised. He hadn't seen Sasha in a bikini before, she always chickened out of the many surfing lessons he had offered her. She gracefully moved through the room, and looked through a pile of laundry on the side, picking up a black dress from the top of the pile, she slipped it over. He watched as she did so, her skin was porcelain, and she was curvy yet petite. He dragged his eyes away, as much as it pained him to do so.

"What do you think?" she asked, tugging at her dress. She ran her hands through her wavy hair. Casey struggled to get his breathe back, he didn't even realise he'd been holding it. "Yeah, thats...er...that's good." he said nodding akwardly. She looked different somehow in his eyes to how he had seen her yesterday, in her uniform at the diner. Sasha rolled her eyes, then reached out to grab his hand. She lurched his body from the sofa and he felt her warm touch. "Come on, you dork. Let's go!" she yelled, and they were out the door.

The walk to the beach was quiet, Casey couldn't quite shift the image of Sasha in the doorway, in her bikini from his mind. This frustrated him. They walked down the sandy verge to the beach, slipping off their shoes as they went, and made their way over to the bonfire, where they were cases of beer. Casey took one and handed one to Sasha. Then the drinking began...

*4 hours later*

"CASEYYY! Come get in the water with us." Sasha was happily drunk and splashing around in the water with a few other River Boys, including Casey's older brother Heath, and his friend Stu Henderson. He watched Sasha's figure in the moon light, her beachy hair was soft and wavy and she was holding a bottle of something in her hands. Casey who was already wasted, slipped off his shirt and ran towards the crowd, taking in their cheering.

He dived underwater and as he submerged he saw Sasha kissing someone, two strong arms wrapped around her porcelain skin in the water. It was Stu Henderson. "YAY! CASEY'S HERE!" Sasha cheered, she broke from Stu and placed an arm softly around Casey's waist. He placed his around her shoulder, in a friendly manner. But she took his hand and squeezed it.

"Casey's the best!" she cheered, drunkenly. In those few moments, a million emotions passed over Casey. He had never been this close to Sasha before, to touch her skin. He carefully slid his hand up and down her side in the water, too drunk she didn't notice and probably for the best. He didnt touch her as Stu had, with force - just gently as if she were easily breakable.

Casey felt an emotion, he wasn't too familiar with. Jealousy. Totally, unexpected jealousy.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Sasha rolled around in bed, her head pounding. She hadn't remembered quite how she got home, just blurry faces and images swirled around in her bed. She could taste beer on her breath and through her squinted eyes, she took in the clock beside her bed. 11.30am, Saturday morning. She hugged the sheets close to her and looked down, over her bikini she was wearing a t-shirt, a men's t-shirt. She thought back to the previous evening, it was Casey's. Where was her dress? Where was Casey? Then memories came flooding back of her kissing Stu Henderson, which she hadn't totally hated. She giggled to herself and sat up in bed. She sniffed the t-shirt, taking in Casey's usual scent, plus a little beer. She smiled, then reached for her phone to call Casey. She rang twice, no answer so she wrote a quick text.

"Morning sleepy. Give me a call when you get this, we should hang out later. Movie night at yours? It's your turn. My heads killing! Also why do I have your t-shirt? Xxx" - Sasha pressed send and fell back into her bed.

Casey lay in bed, sunlight creeping through the window. He was wide awake and hungover. He held his phone in his hands, he had watched it ring twice. Then he received Sash's message. He read it, three maybe even four times over. Then lay back in bed and replayed last nights events. He had continued drinking and later found Sasha and Stu kissing near the bonfire, she was sitting in her bikini and dithering a little. She was moaning to Stu she was cold and he offered to take her home to his house. Just remembering the moment sent jealousy bursting through Casey. Thankfully Sasha had refused and Stu had left her lying on the ground, calling her no fun. When Casey found her she was calling out his name.

"I want Casey!" She was shouting. "I'm cold!" And Casey had taken off his shirt and given it to her. Pulling her drunk flailing limbs through it. She had kissed him on the cheek at her door and called him amazing, then stumbled her way into the house. Casey had walked home shirtless. He laughed at her, typical Sash.

He touched his cheek where Sasha had kissed him and smiled to himself. Why had he ignored her calls? And her text? He didn't like her that way surely? Alcohol talking, of course. That's what it was.

He picked up his phone - "sorry I was sleeping. Morning you dirty alcoholic! Keep the tee, movies at mine. Free house. xx" Casey sent the message then closed his eyes again.

Movie night with a friend, a best friend. A close, friend. That's all it was, they'd had 3 or 4 movie nights since Sasha had moved here. But Casey was looking forward to this one more than any other, but he pushed that to the back of his mind.

"Friend." He repeated to himself out loud "Friend."


	4. Chapter 4

Casey took a slightly burnt Lasange from the oven, placing it on the side. He took a look at the living room, he'd also prepared a bowl of popcorn and some little candles dotted here and there. He had collected a stack of Sasha's favourite chick flicks and they were stacked beside the television. Heath and Brax were working down at Angelo's, so he had the place to himself until around midnight. He paced around quickly, stopping at the mirror to examine himself. He tugged on his black t-shirt and jeans, he'd already changed four times. Their usual movie nights concluded of take-out from the diner, action movies and hanging out in their sweats, but Casey had gone all out. He lit the candels carefully, and flicked through the movies, placing her favourite on top. Casey had dated girls before, here and there. He thought back to his ex Ruby, he had never done anything like this for her. He'd never sat around waiting for her to call, or made any effort if she didn't. What if Dex was coming round for movie night? Would he of lit candels for him?

His phone vibrated and he rushed to read the message from Sasha eagerly. "Never guess what, Stu asked me out! Mind if I take a rain check on movie night? Mwah! x"

Casey sat down on the sofa, re-reading the message. Replaying moments from last night in his head. The moment he surfaced the water and saw Stu kissing Sasha had changed him somehow, he suddenly saw Stu in a different light. Stu and Casey, as Riverboys had been friends for years, not close - but friends. He had seen the way Stu treated girls, he'd cast them aside when he had what he wanted and moved on to the next one. His blood boiled as he pictured Stu's hands around her tiny frame.

Casey blew out the candels and angrily smacked the dvd pile to the floor. He binned the lasange, took a beer from the fringe and took a huge gulp.

He grabbed a jacket, and made his way over to Romeos, leaving the romantic room looking lonely.


	5. Chapter 5

3 weeks had passed since Sasha and Stu'a first date. She was now officially his girlfriend. They sat hand in hand in the diner that morning before school sharing breakfast. Casey walked in alone and quickly passed them by heading straight for the counter.

"Casey, hey! Come sit with us." Sasha begged. She had been trying to call and text but he seldom replied. Always claiming to be sleeping or studying, he had become a social recluse, spending the majority of his time caged up in his room. Casey turned and saw Sasha's pleading look. Her face was bright and warm and her eyes dazzling. "Gotta go, sorry." He mourned, taking his coffee. Sasha jumped from her seat and he knew she was following him, she did so all the way to the beach.

"Casey, what have I done?!" She shouted, and he turned hearing the pain in her voice. He hated hearing her sad, thinking this was somehow her fault. "It's nothing Sash..." He started, turning to her, he watched her eyes fill up with tears. "I'm sorry, if I've annoyed you but I feel like I'm loosing the best friend I ever had." He watched he'd as a tear rolled down her cheek. He couldn't bare to see her pain. He put his strong arms around her and hugged her closely. "I'm still right here Sash, but you've got Stu now too..." He said, stroking her hair softly. He looked down and pressed his face into her hair, taking in her usual strawberry scent. "But your my best." She whimpered, "don't go anywhere else I don't know what I'd do." Sasha hugged  
him tightly, tugging on his shirt. He felt her arms at his back, and more than anything he wanted to lean down and kiss her. "I'm right here Sash, always right here."

That afternoon after school students buzzed around happily excited for Saturday night's formal. Posters hung on every wall as a reminder. There was a buzz of excitement in the air.

"You going?" Dex appeared alongside Casey as he stated at them poster aimlessly. Casey shrugged. "Come on, I'm going, Sash and Stu are going..." He began.

"Then I'm out." Casey huffed turning to walk away. "I see it you know, I'm not stupid." Dex shouted as he walked away. Casey turned, eyeing Dex suspiciously. He placed a friendly arm around Casey's shoulder, "you like her, don't you?" He asked knowingly, raising his eyebrows.


End file.
